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Macaron Tutorial

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Baking for Bill is easy. It's actually very enjoyable. He likes everything. He is willing to try it all. He is also very much like an 8 year-old when I bake. He comes to the kitchen five times for the same imaginary glass of water. Goes back to his study with a banana. Comes back to the kitchen to dispose of the banana peel. Sixth imaginary glass of water. You get the idea. I love it. I also love that when I stacked the last layer of this cake, the first words that came out of his mouth were "Oh wow! That cake is huge! Yeah!!" Yes, The New England Cake, is indeed humongous and delicious.

I would not make a cake of this stature on the spur of the moment, just for us and two cups of tea. This is a Reunion Cake, a Birthday Dinner With Friends Cake, a Celebration Cake, a Date Cake! No really, I mean it. It is literally a lovely brown sugar cake filled with dates and iced with maple sugar buttercream. Trust me, you could make this for a first date and end up with a second. And a third.

There were a couple of reasons for this cake to start taking over the kitchen countertop. A family reunion and a book club. The reunion was as typical as can be: tiresome, crazy, at times scary but ultimately fun. Basically, no reason to elaborate on that but to focus on the book club instead. The Edible Word started last year under the initiative of Cath from A Blithe Palate and Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness. I had such a good time doing it that I said yes for this year's book, "Confections Of A Closet Master Baker" by Gesine Bullock-Prado, a non fiction memoir. I am just a couple of days behind the deadline but I blame it on this cake. And the reunion.

Confections Of A Closet Master Baker traces Gesine's journey as a Hollywood executive who finds her true calling in baking and decides to pursue her passion by moving to Vermont and opening a bakery in the small town of Montpelier. I devoured the book, all pun intended. So many emotions, "coups de coeur" and fun truths. Her passion is the air she breathed. You can bet I found myself in many of Gesine's mornings, getting to the bakery at the crack of dawn, leaving after everybody else and never questioning getting to do it all over again the next day.

I also fell in love with Gesine, her writing style and her voice. Fun, honest, visual. Writing is definitely her other talent. She is a cool chick. Each chapter of the book ends on a sweet note with one of her recipes. I had plenty to choose from: Carrot Cake, Plum Tart, Espresso Cheesecake, cream scones, and the list goes on. I went with The New England purely out of necessity. I was given very short notice to bring another dessert and not much time to shop so I did have to match my pantry to one of the recipes in the book.

I did make a couple of changes to her original recipe. The cake calls for brown sugar and I substituted half the amount with muscovado sugarwhich gave it an even deeper brown sugar flavor and kept the cake ultra moist, even days later. The frosting is a wonderful maple sugar Swiss meringue that would also go very well with any other darker cakes. I did make the executive decision to leave it un-buttercreamed on the outside. I had this vision of the cake growing and growing the more I was spatulating the inner layers. It was also starting to be pretty hefty and I had to travel with this cake. Honestly, it was quite perfect as it was. Impressive and delicious, filled with dried dates and a soft hint of molasses and maple sugar.

Due to copyright restrictions I am not at liberty to post the recipe (although I have stumbled upon a few close recipes with a quick Google search) but trust me, this cake is worth getting the book alone. Wait! Wait! What I do have is one extra, brand new copy to give away to one lucky reader. If I could I'd add a slice of the New England cake with it but I am afraid it won't work with the post office policies.

To enter the giveaway:- leave a comment between Thursday September 10th 2009 and Sunday September 13th 2009 (midnight Eastern time)- One entry per reader.- no anonymous comment will be taken into consideration. Sign Zorro or X if you must.- the giveaway is open to all. I'll ship anywhere in the world.- the winner will be randomly picked by asking Bill to call out a number from all the entries received.

If you happen to know or have a link to a great date cake recipe, feel free to leave it in the comment. I know I am ready to try more!

It looks just the thing for me to try an bake, what with the excess of dates we've received from friends over this month! There's only so much Sticky Toffee Pudding to be done.Hmm...wondering if I can try substituting the maple sugar with our local palm sugar (type found in Malaysia, similar to the Thai one)which has slightly treacle-like taste. That should be interesting.

I can't wait to read that book. I recently added it to my (ever expanding) wishlist. Love this cake. Beautiful, as always. The best date loaf I've made is from Dorie Greenspan's classic, Baking: From my Home to Yours. I recently entered a state baking competition here in Brisbane and it was a hit! Have you tried that one before? Well worth it. I'm sure your husband would drop into the kitchen come for many imaginary glasses of water when baking that one, too!

Looking at this beautiful cake alone made me drool. Reading on about the ingredients you used made it worse. I really need to make this cake sooner than later. Seems like a perfect combination of my favourite ingredients!

I've been reading/drooling over your site for a while. I think it's the first time I've commented though. Maybe if you FROZE the cake slice and then shipped it? I'm grasping at straws here to get a piece of that gorgeous cake!

Gorgeous. I could read those xyz-turned baker books by the thousand, the way some people read harlequin romances. Oh, wish fulfillment.

I've never baked so light looking a cake with dates, my experience has been more in the Sticky Toffee Pudding realm, which is not so picturesque, but deeply rewarding. Although I remember how skeptical I was the first time. "Sticky date cake? Ehh?" Little did I know.

I think your decision to leave the cake plain on the outside is a good one.My husband is just the same, whether being easy to bake for or the "checking out" of the kitchen. :)Wish the postal department would change its policies regarding shipping cake!

Here it is! You knew how excited I was as soon as I saw your tweet about baking with dates. I looooove dates, they are my favorite food, hands down. I will admit a bit of disappointment at not having your version of the recipe, but I am also thrilled to discover a new book, baker and writer! Thanks!! Meanwhile, that cake is gorgeous! I'll keep my fingers crossed that Bill's lucky number is... ?!

Oh, you asked for date recipes, I have only posted one so far on my blog, here it is: a banana date cake, enjoy!

I am so excited at the possibility to not only get my hands on this recipe, but also read the book. After such a stellar review, who could NOT be excited?

I must agree with Alexandra about your "toplessness" being the way to go with the cake. I've never been much of an icing person for the very reason of it usually overpowering the subtle flavors of homemade cakes. Can't wait to try this one out!

Hello Helen, Love the cake. So good to have more recipes for dates.Dates are so good for you and they taste divine. As a young girl living in Egypt (now living in Canada) I used to eat a big variety of dates. They are so common there, that you almost forget they could be a treat else where in the world. My Syrian grandmother used to make us this amazing dessert with dates. I would be happy to share it with you and all Date lovers. It is so simple yet so delicious. Beware of calories though.Mémé Lola Date Bomb:- 5 big meringues - About 1 lb of Black or brown fresh dates (pitted and skinned) – you can use dried dates that you have soaked in warm water to tenderize- 1 cup Crème Chantilly (or whipped cream)- ¼ cup fine sugar - 1 or 2 table spoons of rhum or brandy (optional, but oh so good)

Whip the 35% cream with sugar till it gets fluffy. Add the rhum and beat for 1 min more.Cut the dates in quarters or to bite size pieces.Break the meringues in pieces.Mix all the ingredients together and serve in a big glass bowl. Serve immediately. Bonne appétit.Karine

How timely for me! After 20 years of singleness, I have a new boyfriend. Who LOVES my cooking - especially the sweet stuff. I'll have to add this to my arsenal. As for other date cakes...Warren Brown's chocolate butter cake with his new-fangled German Chocolate frosting. I forget exactly what he calls it, but it's in his book (which so far is turning out to be a pretty good resource). Another cake I'm going to spring on The Boyfriend is a chocolate salted caramel cake. I've tried one from a bakery, and this recipe from Bon Appetit looks like the source: http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2008/09/chocolate_cake_with_fleur_de_sel_caramel_filling

The cake looks and sounds delicious. Your photography is just beautiful.I've been searching for my next book to read and I think I may have found it. I think I could definitely see me in her journey, as I dream for the day I can leave my engineering job to open a bakery.

WANT! C'est bôôôôôô. I love cakes with dates in them 'cuz I love dates, unripe, ripe, you name it. And I think it looks even better without the outside buttercream. Such lovely pictures. Can I be you when I grow up?

I wonder if her macaron recipe included in the book.I saw her last Tuesday in the Foodnetwork baking them with the Neely's but she never revealed the recipe.They are different than the traditional macarons but easier as well.

Hello! Wow, you bake cakes exactly the way I like to eat them! :D I love that you left it nude on the outside. Although your decision was very practical, I also think it is possible to have too much frosting (I know--gasp!) by covering an entire cake. All that fluff is tempting to look at, but sometimes that messes with the integrity of the actual cake flavor. I also love that you used two different kinds of sugar. Muscovado's one of my favorites for it's deep molasses flavor and also because it's fun to say. Great post!

I found your website recently from Pioneer Woman; it's my first comment. Your pictures always look so lovely, and I want to make EVERYTHING you've made! It all looks so yummy, especially this "naked" cake that won't be a sickly sweet as all those cakes from boxes with frosting from cans (yuck).

even before i saw your contest i was going to post a comment about how badly i want to read that book! i have been eyeing it lately and trying to decide whether or not to add it to my (overwhelming) book collection.

This cake is lovely... and your husband too! I'm always enjoy myself when someone is curious but refuses to admit it! You're lucky to have him, but I know why he tries everything...everything is delicious and soo soo beautiful!thanks for the giveaway opportunity!Martina

This morning I was just wondering how to use a bag of muscovado sugar. This cake looks delicious and want to try it. I ve heard so much about this book I really want it. I ve got some cookies and cupckaes with dates on my new blog. Here s the link http://snookysrecipedoodles.blogspot.com/